{
  "slug": "laundromat-utility-cost-per-load",
  "title": "Laundromat Utility Cost Per Load Calculator",
  "heading": "Laundromat Water & Gas Cost Per Load Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/laundromat-utility-cost-per-load",
  "summary": "Break down water, sewer, gas, and electric cost for a single wash-dry cycle.",
  "description": "Utility cost is the single biggest controllable expense in laundromat operations after rent, and it's the number most new owners underestimate. A standard top-load wash uses roughly 20-40 gallons of water depending on machine efficiency and cycle selection, billed at both a water rate and a sewer rate (sewer is often billed as a multiple of water usage, sometimes 1.0-1.5x). Gas-heated water and gas dryers add therm cost on top. This calculator sums water plus sewer cost per gallon, gas cost per therm for water heating and drying, and electric cost per kWh for motors and controls, giving you a true per-load utility cost to compare against your vend price and confirm your margin per load.",
  "formula": "Water+sewer cost = gallons × (water rate + sewer rate). Gas cost = therms used × rate. Electric cost = kWh × rate. Total = sum of all three.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=laundromat-utility-cost-per-load",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "gallons",
      "label": "Gallons per wash load",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 30,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 5,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "waterRate",
      "label": "Water rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 6.5,
      "unit": "$/1000 gal",
      "min": 0.5,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "sewerRate",
      "label": "Sewer rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 8.5,
      "unit": "$/1000 gal",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "therms",
      "label": "Gas therms per wash+dry cycle",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.35,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "gasRate",
      "label": "Gas rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1.35,
      "unit": "$/therm",
      "min": 0.2,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "kwh",
      "label": "Electric kWh per cycle",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.6,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "elecRate",
      "label": "Electric rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.16,
      "unit": "$/kWh",
      "min": 0.02,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "total",
      "label": "Total utility cost per load",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "waterCost",
      "label": "Water + sewer cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "gasCost",
      "label": "Gas cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "elecCost",
      "label": "Electric cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Gallons per wash load: 30",
      "Water rate: 6.5 $/1000 gal",
      "Sewer rate: 8.5 $/1000 gal",
      "Gas therms per wash+dry cycle: 0.35",
      "Gas rate: 1.35 $/therm",
      "Electric kWh per cycle: 0.6",
      "Electric rate: 0.16 $/kWh"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Total utility cost per load: $1.02",
      "Water + sewer cost: $0.45",
      "Gas cost: $0.47",
      "Electric cost: $0.10"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter gallons per wash load.",
      "Enter water rate ($/1000 gal).",
      "Enter sewer rate ($/1000 gal).",
      "Enter gas therms per wash+dry cycle.",
      "Enter gas rate ($/therm).",
      "Enter electric kwh per cycle.",
      "Enter electric rate ($/kWh).",
      "Read your total utility cost per load on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "gallons": 18,
        "waterRate": 3.9,
        "sewerRate": 5.1,
        "therms": 0.21,
        "gasRate": 0.81,
        "kwh": 0.36,
        "elecRate": 0.096
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "gallons": 30,
        "waterRate": 6.5,
        "sewerRate": 8.5,
        "therms": 0.35,
        "gasRate": 1.35,
        "kwh": 0.6,
        "elecRate": 0.16
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "gallons": 48,
        "waterRate": 10.4,
        "sewerRate": 13.600000000000001,
        "therms": 0.5599999999999999,
        "gasRate": 2.16,
        "kwh": 0.96,
        "elecRate": 0.256
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why is sewer often more expensive than water itself?",
      "a": "Many municipalities bill sewer based on metered water usage but at a higher rate per unit because wastewater treatment costs more than supply and delivery. In some cities sewer runs 1.2-1.8x the water rate, so ignoring it understates your true water-related cost by close to half."
    },
    {
      "q": "How much can high-efficiency machines save?",
      "a": "Modern high-efficiency front-load washers use 30-50% less water per load than older top-load agitator machines, which flows straight through to lower water, sewer, and gas-for-heating costs. On a machine doing 4-5 turns a day, that difference can be several hundred dollars a year per unit."
    },
    {
      "q": "Should I pass utility costs into pricing directly?",
      "a": "Yes, in spirit — total utility cost per load should be under 25-30% of your vend price to leave room for rent, labor, and machine payback. If utility cost creeps toward 40% of price, you either need a rate increase or more efficient equipment."
    },
    {
      "q": "Do dryers use gas, electric, or both?",
      "a": "Most commercial dryers use gas for heat and electric for the drum motor and controls, which is why this calculator separates the two. All-electric dryers exist but usually cost more to run per cycle in areas where gas is cheaper than electric per equivalent heat unit."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/laundromat-turns-per-day",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/laundromat-machine-payback",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/laundromat-revenue-projection"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Laundromat Utility Cost Per Load Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/laundromat-utility-cost-per-load)"
}